The Germanic Origins of the English Language

You may not speak German as perhaps your German immigrant parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents did. But you, like most Americans regardless of race or ethnicity, speak a Germanic language! In fact, it's called "English," and no other language the world over today rivals its global significance. It is utterly amazing how the English language spread from its modest beginnings in a relatively small island nation in the North Sea to a tongue spoken throughout the four corners of the globe. From the illiterate "Anglish" tongue of the Saxon warriors who migrated to Britain and gave birth to England in the 5th century, through the Viking and Norman invasions and the scourges of the Black Death, to the eloquent prose of Shakespeare and the lyrics of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, the English language now ranks as the world's primary medium of international communication. Join us and find out who, what, when, where, how, and why! This virtual lecture will be held on the online platform Zoom. In the 24 hours prior to the presentation, you will receive an email with your Zoom invitation code. You will want to download Zoom.us on your computer or phone before this. The application is free and takes about one minute. There will be a practice session in the afternoon before the class. There, you will be able to learn the program in a judgment-free zone. We are happy to teach you! You can also email rosa@dankhaus.com if you have any questions about how to use Zoom. The event will start promptly at 7:00 PM CDT on Thursday, May 14, 2020. You will be able to see other people on the call and even ask Mike questions in real time. Many of our virtual participants have asked if they could pay MORE for our classes. For any of you that wish to pay more, we have a $10 registration option that will DOUBLE your donation! Danke! Presented by Mike Haas, B.A. Sociology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M.A. History, DePaul University Chicago; retired from the the Chicago Police Department; Ehren President of the the German-American Police Association; 30 year editor of the Brennpunkt, the official publication of the GAPA; and former editor of the Chicago Police Star Magazine, the official publication of the the Chicago Police Department. Mike's four German grandparents immigrated to Chicago in the late 1920s and settled in the Lincoln-Belmont-Ashland area of Lakeview where Mike spent his early years before the family moved to Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood where he grew up. Mike worked in the Chicago Police Department's once heavily German 19th District "an der Nordseite" for over twenty years except when he was detailed to the Chicago Police Department's Training Academy. Mike and his wife, Carol, presently live in Edison Park on Chicago's far northwest side. He has been teaching German history courses at the DANK Haus for the past six years.